The present invention relates to tape cassette winders/rewinders, and in particular to an economical and convenient to use device for rapidly rewinding or fast forwarding video tape cassettes.
As is known, when only a portion of a video cassette is used during recording or playback, to properly support and orient the tape on its reels, after use it should be advanced to its end and then fully rewound. Video cassette recorders conventionally include fast forward and rapid rewind functions, and may be employed for the purpose. However, such use subjects the recorder to increased wear, and it is often necessary for a user to attend the recorder during tape advancing and rewinding. In addition, it is not uncommon for a user, after recording or playing back a tape, to immediately insert a subsequent tape into the recorder, with the result that several tapes may be awaiting winding and/or rewinding.
To avoid any need to attend a video recorder during advancing and rewinding of tapes, as well as to minimize wear of the recorder, it would be advantageous to provide a separate, reliable and economical video tape cassette winder and rewinder for the purpose.